Torpedo-testing apparatus.



W. DIETER.

TORPEDO TESTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.14, 1912 Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Fly. 1.

citizen of the United States,

UNITED STATES PATNT orrion.

WILLIAM DIETER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR- TO E. W. BLISS COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

TORLPEDO-TESTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

Application filed March 14, 1912. Serial No. 683,746.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM DIETER, a residing in .irooklyn, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Testing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for use principally on torpedo boats and other vessels equipped with torpedoes, for facilitating the testing of the units of the torpedo which require compressed air under a known or variable pressure. The ship is commonly provided with a line of high pressure pipe leadingfrom an air compressor or compressed air reservoir and commonly carrying air to a pressure approximating 2,500 pounds per square inch. To this is coupled the admission pipe of the torpedo-testing apparatus, which takes the air to a suitable throttling or reducing valve, which is preferably constructed as a needle valve. On the outlet side of this valve a connection is made to a pressure gage and also to an expansion chamber or air flask, to which the air is admitted at a pressure depending.

upon the extent to which the needle valve is opened, and which pressure is determinable by the pressure gage. From the opposite end of the air flask a small pipe, known as the test pipe, is extended to the torpedo or torpedo unit to be tested. A strainer is introduced in the valve casing directly beyond the outlet of the needle valve,- to intercept any solid particles that may be carried'along with the blast of air and which might do injury to the torpedo or its parts. Such testing apparatus is commonly employed for testing the turbine engine for driving the torpedo, or the steering engines, or the turbine for spinning the gyroscope. I" or these purposes the test pipe is connected with the appropriate air inlet of the particular unit to be tested, and the needle valve is opened until the pressure indicated by the gage is that at which it is desired to introduce the air, usually a pressure under 500 pounds. The needle valve will be manipulated to bring the pressure up to this amount and to hold it at this level or a close approximation thereto during the short period, usually not exceeding ,to 90 seconds, which is required for making the test, Fo1'. this purpose a needle valve is preferable to a plugs f and g.

,7) whicln in Fig. 3, is

diaphragm or other automatic pressure regulator.

Referring to the accompanying drawings F igure 1 is an elevation of the testing apparatus as a whole. Fig. 2 is a vertical midsection on a larger scale of the needle valve and strainer. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof taken on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the strainer removed.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a h gh pressure air main, and B the inlet pipe to the testing apparatus which is coupled to the main A, and which delivers the air into the valve casing C. This casing, in the, preferred construction shown, serves both for the needle valve D and the strainer E. The casing has an outlet connected by a tube a to the gage F and another outlet connected by tube 1) to the air flask or reservoir G. This connection is preferably made by a coupling at one end of the flask, while from the opposite end leads'the test pipe or discharge pipe H which may be conducted to any place where the test is to be performed,

preferably a'suitable testing stand, the tube terminating with a coupling 0 for making connection with the torpedo unit.

The needle valve D is of any suitable construction, having a valve stem (1 with a handle for turning it, the stem entering the shell C and being threaded to screw thereinto in the ordinary manner, the inner end of the stem being pointed to enter a valve seat e for throttling the airflowing from the inlet B to the strainer. The air passage from the seat a to the strainer is formed by two intersecting bores f and g closed by the The strainer, which is shown separately in Fig. 4, is carried by a screw plug or ring it which screws into a threaded socket 2' against a shoulder j. The threaded socket i opens to the exterior; its open end is closed by a screw plug 7.: which does not touch the plug it, the space between serving for the inflow of air from the duct 9. The strainer projects into a chamber m so that the air blowing through the strainer enters this chamber, and it is from this chamber that the tubes (1 I) lead. The shell is provided with an outlet opposite the tube shown closed by a plug n, but which might receive another outflow tube; or the tube 1) and the plug might be transposed thus enabling the valve to be by first unscrewing theplug it; and then unscrewing the strainer plug h.

In operation the an 'tlask serves as an expansion chamber to equalize and steady the pressure and minimize the fluctuations due to the somewhat inconstant control by the manually-operated needle valve. u

\Vith this simpleiapparatus any desired test of a torpedo or its units upon a testing stand may be made with convenience and facil-ity and with the requirement of but slight skill in manipulation, i

The details of construction may be-sub-' jected to considerable variation without departing from the essential features of the invention which are set forth in the clams.

lVhatI clam is i l. A torpedo testing apparatus comprising a high-pressure air inlet coupling with a conduit leading therefrom, a throttling valve in said conduit, a pressure gage communicating with the outlet side of the valve, an outlet conduit adapted for connection with the torpedo unit to be tested, and an expansion chamber, constituting an enlargement of the outlet conduit, receiving air at one end from the outlet side of the valve and discharging air from its opposite end through said outlet conduit/ A torpedo testing apparatus comprising a casing having a high-pressure air inlet and a duct leading from said inlet, a throttling valve in said duct, a strainer casing forming a chamber with an outer opening, a plug closing said opening, a separate strainer seated in said chamber, said duct entering between the strainer and plug, and said strainer casing having an outlet duct from said strainer chamber.

3. A tor'pedotesting apparatus comprising a caslng having a valve seat and a' on the inlet side of said seat, and having an inlet duct to said inlet side and an outlet duct from the outlet side, a strainer within said chamber having a supporting screw plug engaging said threaded portion and seating against said seat, a screw plug engaging said threaded portion and closing the inlet end of said chamber, and a valve controlling the flow through said duct.

5. A torpedo testing apparatus comprising a casingvhaving a high-pressure air inlet with a duct leading therefrom, a throttling valve in said duct, a chamber on the outlet side of said valve, a pressure gage communicating with said chamber, f an outlet duct from said chamber, and an expansion chamber of relatively large capacity forming part of said outlet duct.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM nrnrnn.

Witnesses: i

JOHN D. MoIn'rYnn, G. W. A. MURRAY. 

